Tempting Fate
by HilaryHilary
Summary: Jordan Scott knows she doesn't want Peyton's life, or even Callie's. But exceeding expectations is even harder with the relationship of Sawyer and Callie, basketball captains and the constraints of the small, stifling town. Sequel to 'Chasing Fate'.
1. The Scotts

Tempting Fate

When I was young, I realized that as a Scott, several things were expected of me.

Firstly I was to be a cheerleader. If I had been a boy, I was to be a basketball player.

Secondly, I was to be beautiful and groomed.

Thirdly I was to find a great guy and marry young, preferably without getting pregnant beforehand.

These rules weren't exactly imposed on me by my family, but they were by the public. Scotts were the royal family of Tree Hill, and certain things were expected of them. In return we received honour, devotion and even financial benefits.

However, Tree Hill would soon learn that I was going to follow none of these rules.

As it was most mornings, I was the first down to breakfast. I smiled as my siblings began to shout, their yells at each other coming faintly back to me. I heard Tara, my eldest sister, yell at Charlie, the only boy, about using up the last of the hot water. Charlie yelling at Lissie, who was the youngest, about leaving her Barbies in the bathtub. Lissie, feeling left out of the whole thing, and yelling in her baby voice at Tara, for having her music on loudly the night before.

I wondered where my parents where. Later in the day they could generally be counted on to settle disputes, but in the mornings they were often the last to get up, consequentially leaving me to make breakfast.

"DANNI!" came Lissie's wounded shriek.

"Down here baby!" I called back up. I smiled as her tiny feet began to run toward me, through the big house. My smile dropped immediately at her tear-streaked face, her confusion. She didn't know she'd done anything wrong.

"Come here baby," I entreated softy, sitting cross-legged on the floor. She dropped onto my lap, flung her arms around my neck, placed her face in my neck and sobbed into my shoulder.

"Charlie was being mean to me," she explained, between her tears.

"I know sweetie, I know. Tara was yelling at him and he was confused and scared like you and he was just trying to release his anger," I soothed. She didn't understand my words, but she understood the tone.

"Tara was being mean," she complained.

"Maybe a little bit. Tara's so old now that she needs more sleep and it's hard for her in the morning," I said, defending my biggest sister with resegnation.

I scowled at her as she sauntered in, but Lissie immediately unattached herself from me and dried her eyes in desperate attempt to seem older. Tara distractedly ruffled her blonde curls and reached for the platter of pancakes I'd made.

"Lissie, you should go get changed," I said.

She scampered off, still dressed in her pink pajamas.

"God, he's only eight. Why do you have to yell at him like that?" I challenged.

"You know he's only eight, yet he spends more time grooming himself than you do. What does that tell you?" she asked.

"He's not gay, Tara," I said scathingly.

"No. But you could really benefit from adjusting your look," she said. She looked scathingly at the hooded sweatshirt I was wearing and the loose jeans.

"You know you could do with thinking about someone other than yourself," I shot back.

"Oh well. At least you left your hair down for once," she said, throwing her own long, blonde hair over her shoulder. I scowled at her, pulled my hair back into a ponytail, swirled it around twice and pulled an elastic around the messy bun. Had she even heard me? Defiantly she reached forward and gently tugged some strands out near my temple so they hung down my cheek.

"There. Much better," she said with satisfaction. I rolled my eyes and tucked them behind my ear.

"Hey, is Lissie okay now?" asked Mom, coming into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I calmed her down," said Tara quickly. I elbowed her sharply. For a brief moment I considered tattling on her, but then decided it would only make matters worse.

"So, you're up late," I teased. She smiled.

"No comment," she said sweetly. I grinned as Dad's large feet began to run through the house above our heads, toward us. The three of us turned simultaneously as he charged into the kitchen, eight year old Charlie on his shoulders.

"Hey sweetie," said Mom. Tara looked away as they kissed. I thought it was romantic. Our parents were only in their mid thirties but had been married nearly twenty years. They'd known each other all their lives.

I smiled when I noticed how similarly my little brother and I were dressed. But he was a preteen rebel-his dark hair was spiky and gelled, he wore a chain around his neck. He did spend more time on his toilette than I did.

Tara drove us to school in her car. We dropped Charlie and Lissie off at the elementary school before proceeding onto the high school.

The ride was silent. When I had been younger, younger than about eight, I had worshipped her. Followed her around, bugged her when she was with her friends, stolen her clothes. This infatuation had gone away when she'd hit puberty. Her skirts had gotten shorter, her tops lower. She'd gradually risen in the hierarchy at school, to the point where she was at the very top. She became cheerleading captain. She sold out and did everything that was expected of her.

As soon as we arrived, she parked and we drifted off in different directions. I waved at the only two in her group I was friendly with-Gavin Fenning, my cousin, and Aidan McFadden, who was my grandmother's best friend's son.

I joined my own group. Most of us were creative some how, in the outer edges of the social order. I was the only one that interacted with the inner circle, and that was because of my name alone. Under other circumstances, my nondescript clothing and my imperfect hair would have alienated me.

As I was walking down the hallway to class with my friend Hannah, my grandfather, Nathan, called out to me.

I jogged backwards and looked at the list he was holding in his hand.

"You didn't sign up for cheerleading," he said, his tone far from accusatory.

"God, have you met me?" I asked. He was the longtime coach of the varsity team. He had once been a pro basketball player.

"Point taken. But I know you love the game," he said.

"Speaking of which, why isn't there a girl's team?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Out of my area. I'm just boy's varsity. Good point though. You've got to make history somehow, kid. You are a Scott," he said. We hugged before he jogged off down the hall, still sprightly after his fifty years.

I stopped with Hannah in front of the trophy cabinet, like I did most days, to examine the scoring titles. I grinned as I came to my father's name, Sawyer Brian Scott. There was even a picture of him, on the day they'd won the state final. His arm around a blonde cheerleader-my mother. Back in the days she'd been Callie Jagielski and their relationship had been platonic.

_Author's note: I realize there is something slightly wrong about a third generation fic. However, it will heavily involve the original One Tree Hill characters, as well as flashbacks of them at various ages. And if you really think it's wrong, blame Davis (brookenlucas12) who insisted._


	2. Actually a Girl

Chapter Two: Actually a Girl

I called out experimentally when I got home, but no one was there. Lissie, at six, had just begun full time school, Tara, seventeen, had cheerleading practice (she was the captain. Of course.) and Charlie, who was eight, spent a lot of time hanging out with his friends and being cool.

The only mystery was that Mom wasn't home. She was, generally, when the four of us got home.

I double-checked all the rooms, making sure she wasn't really there, before going to my own room. I'd dressed terribly that morning-the spring weather of Tree Hill could be unpredictable, and the jeans I was wearing were too heavy. With slight trepidation, I stripped down to a red camisole and a pair of fairly slim fitting sweatpants. I let my hair down, brushed it out and ran outside with a basketball.

I made a basket on the driveway court, caught the rebound and made another. My heart rate began to speed up as I ran around the court, making shot after shot.

It was odd, that I had this gene. My father and my grandfather had been pro players, as well as my great uncle. My great-grandfather would have been, had he not impregnated two women.

I turned around sharply when the ball didn't land on the pavement. Tara, Aidan (who was one of her best friends and our grandmother's best friend's son) Gavin (our first cousin) and Will Hunter, the captain of the varsity basketball team.

I grinned and threw myself first at Aidan, who opened his arms to me.

"Hey Aidan," I said fondly.

"Hey beautiful, how're you doing?" he asked.

"I'm good. Hey Gav, what's up?" I asked. We slapped hands. He was technically our cousin, but him and his parents, Tess and John, and his younger brother, Zachary, had spent a lot of their time traveling around. We hadn't exactly grown up together like we had with Aidan.

"Hey Tara," I said eventually. She nodded. I noticed she was still wearing her midriff bearing cheerleading uniform.

"Hey Jo," she said briefly. I forced myself to turn my attentions to Will, who was looking in surprise at what I was wearing.

"What?" I asked suspiciously.

"Nothing. I guess this just proves that you are in fact a girl," he said. I scowled at him.

"I guess now we just have to prove that you are in fact a male," I shot back, throwing the basketball at him. Surprised, he let it drop to the floor. The four of us laughed at his expense for a moment before he collected himself, grabbed the ball and made a perfect three pointer.

"Not bad, Hunter," I conceded.

"Fine, whatever. Let's go inside," said Tara impatiently, moving toward the house. Aidan paused for a second before waving them off and staying with me.

"Where are Lissie and Charlie?" he asked, once they'd disappeared into the house.

"I actually have no idea. Wait a sec," I said, reaching down to pull out my cell phone when it rang.

"Joey?" she said experimentally. I cringed. Only my family called me Jo, Joey or Danni. They thought it was adorable. I got Jordan from everyone else, or even occasionally JS.

"Hey Mom," I said, trying to keep the resignation out of my voice.

"I'm with Lissie and Charlie. We were just at Daddy's office. Is Tara home?" she asked.

"Yeah, she brought home Aidan, Gav and Hunter. They might be planning to stay for dinner," I said.

"Okay, thanks. And your Dad?" she asked.

"Uh, don't know where he is. Wait, he just got home," I said, as Daddy's car pulled up.

"Great, tell him I'll be home in a half hour. Bye sweetie," she said, hanging up hurriedly.

Aidan and I both looked as Daddy climbed out of his car. Because I knew he'd want me to, I tossed him the basketball and he made an easy basket.

"Hey guys. Where's Tara?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, in her bedroom with two huge, muscular basketball players," I said sweetly.

"She can hold her own, I guess. And your Mom?"

"In half an hour, with Lis and Lee. They went to grandpa's office to get checkups, I think," I explained.

"That's cool. Lissie needed her booster shot. So how was school?" he asked.

"Like it always is," I said, concentrating more on getting the ball through the hoop.

"Okay. Aidan, you staying for dinner?" asked Daddy, turning to him.

"If you don't mind," he said.

"Great. Let's go inside," suggested Daddy.

The three of us went inside the house, talking easily. Aidan, who'd been born about three months after Tara, was comfortable in our house as he was in his own.

"Heard from Kylie lately?" asked Daddy as he set a pot on the stove to boil, and looked into the fridge for inspiration.

"Not really. She emailed about a week ago. Mom's really worried about her," said Aidan. Daddy threw back his head and laughed.

"As far as I've heard, teenage Brooke Davis was she exactly. She'll be fine," said Daddy.

"So I've been told. You guys going to the Scottfest?" asked Aidan sarcastically. In a week we'd celebrate my grandmother's birthday and have a monumental reunion. Mom's parents, Peyton, Jake, Daddy's parents Nathan Haley. Mom's sister's Jenny and Lauren, Lauren's kid's, Michael (who was four years younger than me, eleven) Isabel (who was nine). Lucy, who was kind of my Aunt, Tess, who was really my Aunt, her other son Zachary, who was nine, like Isabel and Charlie. Karen who was my great-great Aunt, but really like my grandmother, her husband Keith, my great uncle Lucas, who'd once been a basketball player. They weren't all Scotts, but they were all related to Scotts.

"Of course. It'll be fun, Aidy," I pressed.

"I'm not even related," he said.

"Sure you are. Brooke was Aunt Peyton's best friend, back in the day. You're close enough," I assured him.

I glanced backwards as heavy footsteps thundered down the stairs, and Will Hunter appeared.

"Tara and Gavin are alone up there?" asked Daddy sharply.

"They're cousins, Daddy," I said. He glanced at me for a moment, and I instantly regretted it. Gavin and Tara weren't cousins, not officially. It was a rarely mentioned fact that Mom had been violated by a "friend" of hers, resulting in Tara.

Aidan squeezed my hand in comfort while we fell silent and I dropped my head.

Will arrived in the kitchen at the same time that Mom bounced through the door, accompanied by Charlie and Lissie.

"What, you didn't trust me to cook?" teased Daddy when she dropped four large pizzas on the counter.

"For three teenage boys? God no. Hey you," she said.

"Hey Squirt," he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist, still slim even after her four kids.

"Danni!" called Lissie joyfully, springing into my arms. I caught her with a hoarse grunt, amazed at how big she'd grown.

"Hey Liss. Good day?" I asked, as she clung sweetly to me.

"Yup. Very good day. The teacher started reading Charlotte's Web and we drew pictures," she replied.

"You too Charlie?" I asked. He shrugged.

"It was okay," he said, with an air of superiority.

Tara and Gavin arrived downstairs together as Lissie and I began to set the large dining room table.

The rest of them trooped in quickly. Mom and Dad sat at opposing heads of the table. I caught Lissie's hand, because the two of us usually sat beside each other but she gravitated toward Will Hunter, who she was smitten with, and sat by him instead. It bothered me, that she was a child and so naïve and couldn't detect what an asshole he was.

I ended up sitting across from Tara, beside Aidan and Charlie. Normally there were more girls than guys, but that night the three teenagers outweighed us.

I cleaned up with kitchen with Aidan, Gavin and Will while Tara perched on the counter and read a magazine, Charlie disappeared into the den and Lissie was carted off to bed.

We finished the job quickly, and I prepared to go upstairs.

"We're meeting tomorrow, right? Downtown?" asked Aidan. I nodded my assent.

"Wait, you guys have a date?" asked Will. I could feel the smirk in his voice before I whipped my face around to scowl at him, my golden brown hair flying.

"We're friends. Just like you and Tara," I said snidely. She looked up and laughed.

"Please. Like I'd ever go out with a guy with that small of a…"

"Small of a what, darling?" asked Mom, coming up behind her.

"Trust fund, right?" I supplied. She scowled at me, but saw no other escape.

"Right, of course. Goodnight Mom!" she said brightly. Mom rolled her eyes, laughed and went up the front stairs.

I said goodbye to them all and legged up the back stairs. I paused before I got to my room when I heard Daddy reading aloud to Lissie-

"_His castle (castle Tom) was set_

_Conveniently on a hill;_

_And daily, when it wasn't wet,_

_He paced the battlements until_

_Some smaller knight who couldn't swim_

_Should reach the moat and challenge him."_

I sunk to the floor outside her bedroom and drifted back to the days it had been me, lying in bed, listening to Daddy reading his arm around Mom, chiming in occasionally to finish a line. Back in the day at the beach house, when they'd had so much more time and two instead of four.

He continued:

"_One day when good Sir Thomas Tom_

_Was resting in a handy ditch,_

_The noises he was hiding from,_

_Through very much the noises which_

_He'd always hidden from before,_

_Seemed somehow less… Or was it more?"_

I mouthed the final words to the familiar ditty. Inside the room, I heard Lissie giggle. She'd been born after my ninth birthday, but we'd always had a bond. She went to me before Tara or even Mom sometimes when she fell and hurt herself, or had an upsetting day.

I ran down the rest of the hall to reach my own bedroom.

I turned on my computer and did my homework for an hour, until a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in!" I called.

Mom entered, closing the door behind her. She smiled before going to my bed and flopping onto it.

"You okay? Your Dad said you were quiet all evening," she said.

"I'm good. Um, the whole Tara parentage issue came up and it was kind of weird," I said, looking away from her.

"Joey, that was almost twenty years ago, it doesn't have to be a sensitive issue any more. Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. Mom swung her white blonde hair over her shoulder and I noticed again how young and beautiful she still looked.

"Did you ever see him again?"

"Not really. A couple times over the rest of the year, then he went away for school. He doesn't even know Tara exists, and I don't really consider him her father," said Mom.

"You shouldn't. You know it hate it when you call me those things," I said.

"My family did, and still do, call me Squirt. I think it's worse," she said.

"Maybe. Maybe. It's cute when Lissie calls me Danni, but…"

"Newsflash, it's because it's cute when Lissie says anything," interrupted Mom.

"True that. Nathan was quite surprised that I didn't sign up for cheerleading," I mused.

"That's my fault. Jenny, Lauren and I were all cheerleaders. It's kind of expected of you. Sorry," she said.

"Sure. I kind of want to start a girl's basketball team. See there's an all state league, like for the boys, Tree Hill has just never participated," I said.

"Yeah, sometimes we can be pretty backward. I'm sure you could do it if you wanted to. You know a lot of people," she said.

"Yeah. And if I can get Tara behind-a big if-a Scott sponsored operation would sell better," I said.

"Go for it. You could kick their asses and we could get two titles this year," she said.

"Yeah. Um, I'm going to bed," I announced.

"Oh, you want me to leave that badly?" she asked.

"Of course not. Good night Mommy," I said. She smiled and came over to kiss my cheek. She was significantly shorter than me.

I heard her greet Daddy in the hall, and then heard them progress toward their room.

Tara was in the bathroom, the door open, when I went there to brush my teeth. She looked sideways at me and almost smiled. The bathroom was ours and ours alone, but occupied it much more than I ever would.

"Hey," I said softly.

"Hey."

"You know Daddy was really worried about you and Gavin up there all alone," I teased, leaning against the doorway.

"Me and Gavin? Please. And he wasn't worried about you and Aidan?"

"Just friends. Come on, he's like your best friend too. He's far too much like a relative," I said, smiling.

"Can you believe that Mom and Daddy were married at our age?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"No. And like, all our grandparents. But a lot of those happened due to pregnancies," I said.

"Yeah, some of them. But it's not likely to happen to you," she comforted.

"Because some of us are still virgins at fifteen," I said. the moment I spoke, I regretted it. She scoffed impatiently and stalked out, leaving the bathroom empty.

Oddly enough, I didn't feel terribly victorious.


	3. Overwhelmed

Chapter Three: Overwhelmed

I dropped onto a sofa in the living room, breathing deeply. As Aidan had predicted, a house full of Scotts had turned out to be overwhelming. So far, my Aunts Jenny and Lauren had arrived, and their families, and Peyton and Jake. Nathan and Haley had yet to make an appearance, Lucy was the kind of person that was always late, and everyone else was unaccounted for except for Aidan, Brooke and Mouth.

"Wow, you look happy," said my grandmother Peyton, coming into the room with a diet coke.

"It's kind of intense, when everyone comes. I always feel like I haven't lived up to their expectations," I admitted.

"Scotts can give that impression. We're proud of you, kid," she said, sitting down beside me.

"Thanks. And you know whenever Jenny and Lauren come over, Mom and them are crazy close and it makes me feel almost guilty when I think about my relationship with Tara, if you can call it that," I lamented.

"Tara's a tough not to crack, but don't worry about it. They fought too, growing up. I remember when they all found out about Nikki, Lauren and Jen wouldn't speak to Callie for weeks," she reminisced.

"Wasn't it kind of hard, when Mom got married and moved away when she was so young?" I asked.

"Of course. Especially for Lauren-Jen had gone away to school, and she was completely alone for the first time in her life. Lauren always had a bit of youngest child syndrome, much like Lissie. But they saw each other almost everyday, and everyone knew from the beginning that it was supposed to happen," she explained.

"Everyone thinks me and Aidan are the same," I confessed.

"Do you?"

"No, but Mom said she never realized anything for Daddy until she was like, sixteen," I said.

"Jordan, people only think those things about you because of who your parents are. It doesn't matter," said Peyton.

"Ooh, doorbell," I said, uncomfortable as she was by the closeness of the moment.

I sprang up and ran to answer it, revealing Gavin, Zachary, Tess and John. Smiling, I hugged Aunt Tess. She was probably my favourite of 'the Aunts', partially due to the fact that she seemed as left out as I felt when we all got together, and the other Aunts all bonded.

Zachary ran off to find Charlie, I hugged John before he went off as well (perhaps to find Daddy, though there was always animosity between them, which I didn't totally understand. Perhaps due to him marrying his sister?) and Tess and I walked together into the kitchen.

"Tess!" cried Lauren in delight. They claimed they were best friends, and they were, but there was another touch of animosity.

They hugged, and Tess moved on to hug Jenny and Mom.

"Joey, where's Tara?" asked Mom.

"Probably upstairs with Gav and Aidan," I said.

"Why didn't you go with them?" asked Aunt Lauren. I raised my eyebrows.

"Please, have you _met_ Tara?" I asked.

"Wow, someone's determined to be in a bad mood. However, I have to admit you couldn't be more different," said Jenny, taking in my sweatpants and t-shirt, my messily tied back hair.

"Yeah, how'd she come out of you?" chimed in Lauren, squeezing my shoulders lovingly as she spoke, to tell me silently that it wasn't me she was making fun of.

"She's more like Sawyer," said Tess.

"Much more," agreed Mom, as the doorbell rang. I ran to answer it, hoping for my other grandparents.

My hopes were dashed as I opened the door to reveal a tall guy with dark blonde hair and flashing green eyes.

"Hunter, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Nice greeting. So I'm not good enough for your family, Duchess? Your Mom invited me," explained Will.

"Remind me to kill her later. It doesn't bother you, being at an all Scott lunch?" I asked.

"Not particularly."

"Full of opinionated loud people who are well aware that they're Tree Hill royalty?" I pressed.

"Sounds good," he said breezily.

"All knowing each other, comparing family stories, bragging about their grandchildren…" I went on.

"As long as there's cake. You going to invite me in?" Standing aside, I glared as him as he walked in.

I walked back to the kitchen, and to my great annoyance, he followed me.

"Hey Joey. Who's your friend?" asked Jenny.

"Don't know, but this is Will Hunter. Hunter this is my Mom, Callie and my Aunts, Tess, Jenny and Lauren," I said, indicating them as I came to their names. He nodded, and as if he had flicked a switch, turned on his charm. He smiled and shook hands with each of them, exchanging pleasantries. He knew my Mom and Tess fairly well, because he was friends with both Tara and Gavin, but he'd never met Lauren or Jenny. Mom sent me a sympathetic look-she knew the 'relationship' between us.

As soon as I was able, I escaped upstairs to my own room. To my surprise, my bed was already occupied. Lissie was sitting on my comforter, staring tediously out the window.

"Well, you sure look like you're having fun," I said brightly, moving over to the bed. She slid onto my lap

"Isabel and Michael are with Charlie, Gav and Aidan are with Tara, Mom's with the Aunts and Uncle John's with Daddy. I'm all alone," she lamented.

"Why don't you go talk to Grandma?" I said, tasting the unfamiliar word on my tongue. Peyton had been about thirty eight when I'd been born, as my other grandparents had been, and none of them would hear of us calling them 'grandma' or grandpa' but they'd been older when Lissie had come along, so she called them by more traditional names.

"Which Grandma's here?" she asked suspiciously.

"Peyton," I supplied. She looked blank. "Uh, Mommy's Mommy."

Lissie nodded eagerly and slid off my lap again to go find her.

I jumped up when the doorbell rang, knowing who it would finally be. I flew down the stairs and reached the doorway before the Aunts in the kitchen could.

"Haley!" I cried, springing at her. Laughing, she hugged me back. I loved all my grandparents, but Haley was more special. Besides the fact that I was her namesake (Jordan Haley Scott) I looked almost exactly as she had at my age.

"Ah, mini Hales. How you doing kid?" asked Nathan. I grinned at him fondly. All my relatives had married young, but my parents had been almost eighteen, while Nathan and Haley had been barely sixteen.

Haley looped an arm around my shoulders and we went into the living room to talk. I told her everything about the last few weeks of school, Hunter's existence, Daddy's worries over Tara, Gavin, Hunter and Aidan, my plans for the basketball team.

"So, any boy news?" she asked, when I was finished recounting.

"I just told you all about boys," I said, innocently pretending to misunderstand.

"What, Aidan?" she said surprise. She knew how I felt about him, how I felt about other people feelings about my feelings for him.

"No," I said shortly.

"What, that Hunter kid?"

"No, I just mean I have no boy stories. Not right now. But I signed up for tutoring!" I said brightly.

"You'll be great," she assured me.

"Thanks. It's pretty weird, how freaky Daddy is getting with Tara," I commented.

"Not really. His wife, his mother, his mother in law, his sister, his grandmother were all pregnant teenagers. He's trying to evade fate," she said.

"I've tried that before. Never worked out so well," I said.

"So I'd imagine. By the way, if you started up a girl's team it would be fairly awesome," she said.

"I know. And there's no way in hell I'm going to be a cheerlead or a pregnant teenager so I've got to be some kind of Scott, right?" I said. She smiled.

"Right. It almost sickens me, how much this town sucks up to the biggest fish in the pond," she said.

"It must have been weird for you, having a life before and after… Scottdom," I said. She smiled.

"It was pretty crazy. Instant popularity. Now come on, lunch is ready," she said. I stood up and she looped her arm through mine and my grandmother and I walked into the kitchen.


	4. Different Kinds of Love

Chapter Four: Different Kinds of Love

_Author's note: This scene is dedicated to Davis, who inspired it in an email._

Both sets of grandparents and Tess and her family had gone home. Only the Aunts remained.

Lissie, excited by the many guests and the upbeat atmosphere, had wound herself into an early sleep and was dozing in my arms while I attempted to lug her to bed.

The Aunts were all in Mom's room. Peering through the door, hoping desperately they wouldn't see me, I saw them all sitting on Mom and Daddy's bed in a line. In the front sat Lauren, her arms crossed while Mom French braided her blonde curls. In the end sat Jenny, braiding Mom's hair into two long white blonde braids. Only Mom braided and had her hair braided, sitting in the middle, between her sisters.

They looked like girls again. Mom was laughing at something Lauren had said as if she was a teenager, not the mother of four and a wife of seventeen years. Jenny easily took superiority over them, still prominently the eldest sister after so long. Lauren made herself obvious, drawing attention toward herself in the way of youngest children.

The sight of it almost made me ache. Tara and I hadn't really talked, let alone laughed together, in years. Yet here they were, lives completely separate, yet talking as though they were girls again, sharing rooms and squabbling over boys.

"Your kids are gorgeous, Squirt," said Jenny. I smiled.

"They did good. Charlie's so much like Sawyer, except for he's no good at basketball and Jordy's excellent. You know Charlie decided yesterday that Charlie isn't a grown up enough name and from now on he's going to be Lee?" said Mom. The two of them laughed appreciatively.

"Yeah. And Lissie was telling me all about how she's going to be a ballerina when she grows up," added Lauren. I smiled down at the baby in my arms.

"Last week she wanted to be a figure skater, but she had a change of heart. I signed her up for lessons, so I hope it'll last," said Mom.

"Well, let's hope she doesn't take after you in that aspect," joked Jenny.

"Huh?"

"Oh, just back in the day when you first started exploring your relationship with Sawyer, and you kept changing your mind and keeping him at arm's reach before you finally did…" I coughed loudly to attract their attention, praying Jenny wouldn't go on. They turned their heads simultaneously and I noticed for the first time that they all looked a little bit alike.

"Hey Joey. Want to join us?" asked Lauren.

"No, I've got to get her to bed. Good night," I said, preparing to leave.

"At least come say goodnight. I promise not to talk about your parent's sex life," said Jenny. I smiled and took a half step into the room while Mom slapped Jenny with the back of her hand.

"Goodnight Aunt Jenny… Aunt Lauren… Mom…" I said, kissing each of their cheek's in turn.

"Night sweetie," said Mom, when we were finished. She gently brushed a kiss on Lissie's forehead before I departed.

I deftly changed Lissie from her play clothes to her pajamas, tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight. Before turning off the light, I glanced around the room. A lot of it was hand-me-downs from Charlie, Tara and me. There was an embroidery piece from one of the Aunts, announcing her birth in celebration-_Elisa Lauren Scott, July 5th, 6 pounds 8oz. _

I went down the back stairs to avoid passing Mom's room again. The floor was empty, for once. Charlie and Lissie were asleep, Tara was in her room, Daddy was shooting hopes in the semi-darkness outside.

I smiled at the family portrait that hung on the wall. Mom and Dad stood behind us, the picture perfect couple. I stood in front of Mom while Tara was in front of Daddy, Charlie in between us. Lissie, only five, was grinning cheerily at the camera.

Glancing outside at the basketball court, I immediately realized that Daddy was not alone. He was playing with a man who looked not quite old enough to be his father, one I vaguely recognized. Curious, I slipped on a pair of runners and jogged outside to greet them.

"Oh, hey Jo. Luke, you know our daughter Jordan, right?" asked Daddy. I looked gravely up at this Luke before realizing her was Lucas-the only one of my grandparent's high school friends not to be christened 'Uncle'.

"She looks exactly like…" began Lucas.

"Haley, right? It's nice to meet you," I said, sticking out my hand.

"Likewise. I just came because I felt bad about not showing up today, and I wanted to apologize," he explained.

"_Right,"_ I thought. _"Because Brooke and Peyton were there today."_

The three of us looked backwards as Jenny came out of the house, calling over her shoulder to Mom and Lauren. She stopped when she saw the two of them.

"Hey Sawyer, Joey. Luke," she said, smiling at him.

"Jenny?" he managed to choke out in amazement.

"Uh yeah," she stuttered.

"Sorry… it's just… I've known you since you were a baby. You're all grown up," he said. She blushed when he glanced at the cleavage her shirt hinted at.

"Thanks, I think. Okay, I really have to go. Byeee!" she said cheerily, disappearing into her car.

I went back upstairs after they went.

"Oh, you're still up," came a surprised voice.

"God, don't you have a home to go to?" I said irritably.

"Sorry Duchess, guess I'll have to use yours. What's happening with you these days?" asked Will. Suddenly I saw him in a different light: not as Tara's cocky, arrogant friend but as the basketball captain, a potential ally.

"I was thinking of starting up a girl's basketball team," I began.

"I could help you with that. Help you spread the word. Some of the guys even have sisters who play," he volunteered.

"Thanks Hunter, that'd be great," I said, genuinely grateful.

"Of course, I'd expect some sort of payment…" he teased, his eye gleaming.

"Go to hell," I said shortly, going into my own bedroom.

I dropped onto my bed and thought about what I'd witnessed. The odd, chemistry filled scene between Jenny and Luke. For an old guy, he was hot, but he was just that: an old guy. She was older than mom, almost thirty-six, but he was fifty. So, so wrong. Mom and Daddy were exactly a week apart.

I had begun to drift off when I heard Mom and Daddy in the hallway.

"BJ, I think that that could be officially qualified as a success," declared Mom.

"As do I," he agreed.

"Now, Mr. Scott, it is time for bed," she declared.

"Mrs. Scott, I have to agree," he said. He laughed when I did at how cheesy he sounded.

"You know you only married me because of the phantom baby," she teased.

"God you can be slow on the uptake. Ever curious why I already had the ring in my pocket?" he asked. She was silent for a moment.

"What, you mean you were already planning to..?"

"Yeah, kind of. I knew I would eventually. You happy?" he asked.

_"Always, at the back of my mind, I wondered if you had only married me because of that. Now I guess I don't have to wonder. Damn, are you ever getting lucky tonight…" she mused. I covered my head with a pillow and eventually managed to drift off to sleep._


	5. Torn

Chapter Five: Torn

It was the one week a year that was split the student body neatly into two: Homecoming. The popular, socially adept ones looked forward to it, the unpopular, socially awkward, hoped it would never happen.

Tara was one of the former. As one of the most popular seniors, she had high and realistic hopes of being crowned Queen. She cheered on our football team at the big game, showered school spirit.

I didn't exactly cower, but it wasn't my favourite week. I'd gotten exactly two invites to the dance, turned down both of them and had resolved to spend the evening babysitting Lissie.

Will Hunter and Tara had planned to go. However, three days before the dance he had mortally offended her by not denying it quickly enough when she called herself fat, so she had arranged to go instead with Aidan, after endless prodding had failed to get him to invite me. Thank God.

"Joey, you're sure you don't mind?" asked Mom nervously. Dad was leaning against the front door, dressed uncomfortably in a suit. She hovered between me and him, dressed in a short black dress that made set off her skin and hair incredibly, looking terribly nervous at me babysitting when I 'should' have been at homecoming.

"It's not my thing," I assured her, for the thousandth time.

"Okay, if you're sure. Goodnight," she said, leaning up to kiss my cheek.

"Mom," I said, suddenly curious. "Were you homecoming Queen?"

"Yes, of course. We have to go, we have reservations. Goodnight guys!" she called out.

I wandered into the kitchen, where Charlie and Lissie were eating grilled cheese sandwiches in perfect silence.

"Why aren't you going out too?" asked Lissie, swallowing a mouthful.

"It's really not my thing," I explained.

A cry suddenly split the air:

"JOEY!" came Tara's high, panicked voice. I smiled at the two of them before racing upstairs.

"Tara?" I said, entering her room slowly.

"What the hell are these?" she shrieked. She spun around in her vanity chair and I saw red mark spreading through her normally clear skin. I approached her and studied them, my heart sinking as I realized what they were.

"You've got chicken pocks," I mumbled. She shrieked again.

"I can't have chicken pocks! I'm a shoe in for Homecoming Queen! Aidan's going to be here in like three minutes! And look at this dress!" she ordered. I looked at the red dress draped over her chair.

"You have to rest. I'll run you a bath," I called over my shoulder. How had she never had chicken pocks? I'd contracted it at seven, how had I conceivably not passed it along?

Tara moaned as she took down her hair and stepped into the bath I'd drawn her, casually itching a spot on her neck. I almost pitied her. It was important to her.

We both cursed as the doorbell rang. Pushing my hair behind my ears and straightening out my shirt, I ran down to get it.

Aidan was waiting, not exactly looking stricken by love but at least in anticipation. I frowned when I saw the corsage in his hand.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

"Tara's sick. She has chicken pox," I admitted.

"What, she didn't have it when we all did?" he said in surprise.

"Guess not. So are you going to stag, or go home?" I asked.

"Who are you going with?" he asked, eyeing my normally baggy clothing.

"God, have you met me?"

"Come with me. Please? It's my only pass at being a total loser," he begged.

"As friends. You're not to feel me up," I ordered, smiling.

"Fine, whatever. Hurry up, go," he instructed.

I ran upstairs and went back into the bathroom. Tara looked up at me in irritation when I did so, obviously angry at the world for messing up her perfect night.

"Uh, Aidan's here," I said awkwardly.

"Still?"

"Yeah. Um, since you're kind of unavailable and people wouldn't notice if he wasn't there and only losers go to dances without dates do you mind if we…"

"Go? Hurry up, you'll be late," she said, winking at me. I surprised myself by grinning in gratitude before running to her room to get her dress.

I looked at myself with anxiety when I had it on. The dress had been made for Tara's shorter frame, but worked on mine as well, the only downside being that it was even shorter on me. It wasn't the kind of thing I'd normally wear in a million years, but I knew it was my only option. The bodice clung to my upper body, accenting my curves. The skirt was of floatier material that was wont to flare out when I twirled. I undid the elastic around my messy bun, let my hair flow down my back and grabbed Tara's matching handbag. Because I knew she'd never forgive me if I didn't, I stopped in to see her in the bathroom again.

"You look hot, little sis. Now go," she said, laughing weakly. She got up, wrapped a towel around herself and went downstairs to go watch the kids in my place.

I nervously walked down the front steps in Tara's tall black sandals, clutching the rail nervously. I smiled in relief when Aidan offered me his hand.

"You okay? You look like you're liable to topple at any moment. Ready to go?" he asked.

"Wait a second. What do you think?" I asked, keeping his hand and twirling around on the spot, letting my hair fly out and my skirt flare, tantalizingly revealing my toned thighs.

"Gorgeous. Come on, we're late," he said.

We were unusually silent in the car, both aware of how different this was from our normal relations. We'd grown up together, done everything together, imagined and encountered the 'next step' a thousand times each, but had never yet considered stepping over it.

Tree Hill High was noisy, loud and exciting. Hand in hand we walked in, very aware of the prying eyes on either side of us, eyes always waiting for what we were currently giving them and probably never would again.

The gym was full of dancing couples, swaying to the slow song coming through the sound system. In my imagination, the gym went completely silent for a moment while the two of us walked in.

"Might as well give them something to talk about," I whispered. Keeping his hand, I put my free one on his shoulder while his other rested on the small of my back. I felt a shock at his unusually close touch.

"This is weird," he commented, a moment later.

"Too weird. And people think we're soul mates," I agreed.

"People are bound to, what with your parents," he said.

"Yeah. Damn them," I half-joked.

"They were lucky," he said.

"I guess. But it's so freaky. There were like younger than you, older than me, when they got married. Can you even imagine?" I asked.

"God no. But I also can't imagine having four kids. Your parents are nuts," he said. I smiled. We were back in our comfort zone.

"You know I actually feel bad for Tara? She was actually looking forward to this," I said.

"You and her could get along better if you tried harder to understand her," he said.

"What's there to understand? She's shallow and materialistic and we couldn't be more different," I said.

"See, that's your problem. Tara foils most of them with her shallow exterior, and she foils you too. She's deeper than that. You should know that," he said.

"She only sees me as a jock, completely different from her. If I'm guilty, we're both of us guilty of the same crime," I said stubbornly.

"How can you two be some distant? You used to worship her," he reminded her. Memories swirled through my head-me trying on her clothing, copying her talking, following her around the house.

"She used to sanction it," I whispered, as the song ended. I stole a glance at Aidan-was he in love with her?

We retreated back to a table as a faster song came on, and spoke of more neutral, comfortable topics.

"Is it completely pathetic that I'm getting all sentimental seeing you looking all grown up?" asked Nathan, stopping by our table. He was chaperoning.

"I don't look grown up, I look slutty," I corrected. He laughed.

"Sure. You should have seen what Brooke wore to hers," said Nathan. I discreetly nodded my head toward Aidan.

"You mean my mother? Thanks," said Aidan, looking slightly horrified. I giggled.

"Don't worry, I'm sure my mom's did too," I said consolingly. Nathan laughed again and managed to halt his own words.

"No comment. Have fun," he said, running off to a group of teenagers apparently passing around a joint.

"What were we talking about?" I asked.

"Six o'clock."

"Time?" I asked in bewilderment.

"Hey Duchess," came a voice from behind me. I quickly realized my error and blushed.

"What do you want Hunter?" I asked. He came to stand in front of me.

"I was just making sure it was you," he said.

"It's me. Bye bye," I said.

"You cut me deep. Where's Tara?" he asked.

"Sick," I said shortly, folding my arms. His eyes fell immediately.

"You know I've seen you looking like a girl more than once, yet it never fails to surprise me," he said.

"It's because I'm showing lots of cleavage. Why are you still here?" I asked. Will Hunter was an embodiment of everything I hated-arrogance, cockiness, self assuredness.

"Want do dance?" he asked, shrugging off my comment.

"No."

"Why not?" asked Will.

"Because I don't want to. And FYI, I'm not going to end up sleeping with you, so what's the point?" I asked.

"Duly noted. Now come on," he said, taking my hand as another slow song came on.

Against my better judgment, I allowed him to lead me to the dance floor and wrap an arm around my waist, resting his hand on the small of my back.

"I like your dress," he said.

"You're a male chauvinistic pig," I remarked. After a shocked silence, he laughed.

"You're nothing if not unpredictable," he said.

"It's Tara's," I explained.

"I figured as much. Didn't think it was really your style."

"Yeah, completely not. She has chicken pox. I was going to stay home and baby-sit, but she convinced me to come," I said.

"Glad she did," he said. His hand slid down to rest on my ass and for a startled moment I let it stay there before reaching back and removing it.

"You can't play me," I said, giving him back his hand and walking smoothly back to Aidan.


	6. What You Learn from Little Sisters

Chapter Six: What You Learn From Little Sisters

_This chapter dedicated to CCScott23, Chrissy, who made my day right back. Thanks._

The simple fact that William Hunter wanted to sleep with me was oddly liberating. Despite his faults, despite the fact that I hated him, he was widely known as quite the catch. And he wanted me. Maybe he only wanted me in my sister's dress, but he wanted me.

I drifted through the rest of the dance with Aidan, talking amicably and poking fun of many of the other people in attendance.

When I got in, at eleven, Mom and Dad were still out. Tara was waiting for me in the living room, legs slung over the arm of the chair, spots appearing on her face, looking oddly accepting.

She bounced up eagerly when I walked in.

"So, how was it?" she asked.

"Okay. Hunter grabbed my ass," I said, going to the fridge and pouring myself a glass of milk, happy to be a child of sorts again.

"He'll do that. And Aidan..?"

"And I are never, ever going to happen. Good dress though," I complimented.

"I have to say, you look damn good," she agreed.

"So, how were they? Still alive? Did you set the house on fire? Get Liss to bed okay?"

"Nice to know you have so much faith in me. Yes, everything's fine. Better than fine. It was kind of fun," she admitted.

"God, I hate that I spent the evening with your recycled dates," I moaned, kicking off the uncomfortable sandals.

"Get used to it, if you want to meet any decent guys. I've pretty much been there, done that. Anyway, Aidan's a great guy," she said. I sighed.

"Did it ever occur to you that he's actually in love with you?" I asked.

"Joey, I'm not going to be our parents," she said. I smiled.

"Me either. As well as it may have worked out for them," I agreed.

Both of us swiftly turned our heads toward the door as we heard a loud thumping noise. Tara muffled a shriek as I grabbed an aluminum pot from the stove and advanced slowly toward the front door.

Mom shrieked when we burst out of the door and discovered her locked in Dad's embrace, kissing aggressively on the front stoop.

"Get a room," I joked, slightly disgusted at seeing my parents with their tongues down their throats.

"You guys go at it like rabbits. And you're really getting old," pointed out Tara. I let the hand holding the pot drop.

"Thanks kid. Now go back inside. And isn't that fairly formal dressing for a babysitting gig?" asked Dad in surprise.

"And you look all…" began Mom, looking at Tara.

"Spotty? Yeah, uh huh, I know. Joey went to the dance instead, with Aidan, because I have chicken pox. Great, huh? But doesn't she look hot?"

"Too hot. We'll be inside in a minute," said Mom, closing the door as we retreated back indoors.

"God, ew. Normal parents aren't like that," I said.

"Not remotely. But normal parents are a lot older than ours, so…" she said.

"More like our grandparent's age, which is pretty freaky," I said, mounting the staircase to get upstairs to bed.

"Don't go there. Do you think I can get some days off school for this?" she asked, sticking out her arm and regarding the red spots.

"Oh, sure. Milk it girl, I sure did," I said.

"You were live seven. What were you trying to miss out on, having to wait in line for the swings?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm a Scott. We don't wait in lines," I said, yawning as I reached my bedroom and fell onto my bed.

Somewhere during the night I managed to strip down to my bra and underwear and discard the red dress on the floor, but I never progressed onto my pajamas.

I gasped as Lissie leapt onto my bed at eleven o'clock the next morning.

"What are you doing?" I asked sleepily, making a grab for my alarm clock.

"Silly, it's time to go," she said. Daintily slipping off my bed again, the revealed herself to be wearing a pink leotard and ballet slippers. She twirled around, and her blonde ponytail flew out around her.

"Ballet?" I mumbled.

"Yeah. Mommy said you were taking me," she insisted. My vision finally cleared, and I was able to look at the red digits of the alarm clock: 11:07. Shit. I had promised Mom.

"Right, of course. We'll get going as soon as I'm dressed. Why don't you go downstairs and um… watch TV for five minutes?" I suggested, already madly digging through my closet.

We walked out of the house six minutes later. I was toting a travel mug and wearing an outfit that made my others look formal.

"So, you excited?" I asked

"Yep," she said.

"Are any of your friends going to be there?" I asked.

"Yep," she said.

"Baby, are you nervous?" I asked.

"I'm not a baby," she said sweetly, tucking her hand in to mine.

After a few blocks we reached the community centre, where many other little girls in pink leotards were streaming into, their long hair tied back. Lissie hung back a little, obviously shy.

"Sweetie, you have nothing to worry about. I'm sure they're all very nice," I said, dreading going into the building looking so unkempt.

"Come in with me," she ordered, yanking on my hand. Running a hand through my hair, I reluctantly agreed.

As I walked into the building, the vast amount of women present gave me dirty looks, presuming Lissie was my daughter. I figured they didn't live in Tree Hill, because otherwise they'd known my life as well as I did.

Lissie eventually found a friend of hers, another little blond girl, and they ran off together.

I gasped when I saw the familiar dark blonde head turned away from me.

"Hunter?" I said in surprise. He spun around and his eyes widened.

"Hey Duchess," he said, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

"Is one of them… yours?" I asked.

"Uh, no. My half sister, Robyn. My mom has to work a lot and I try to help out," he explained. My mouth dropped open. Somehow this piece of information didn't fit into his puzzle. He was a cocky, arrogant basketball jerk that was extremely helpful to his Mom?

"I thought your parents were wealthy?"

"My Dad and my stepmom, yeah. And I live most of the time with them because of the divorce settlement and since Robyn's Mom's daughter and not Dad's, there's no child support because her father was a real ass, she has trouble making ends meet," he explained.

"So you help. That's really great," I said.

"Thanks. Lissie's here?"

"Yeah, she decided it's her new lifelong ambition to become a ballerina," I joked. I was even annoyed at him-if he was a good person, it would be much harder to hate him.

"Robbie did too. I think it's a stage they all go through," he said.

"I never did. I wanted to be a major league basketball player," I said.

"And I'm sure you will be. But Tara did?" he asked.

"Sure."

"And I thought you'd done everything she did?" pressed Will.

"Not this thing. She was always girlier than me," I said.

"Yeah, I know," he said, grinning.

"So what do you want to be when you grow up?" I asked. He smiled again, naturally and easily.

"A major league basketball player," he answered. I rolled my eyes at the corniness of his response.

"Please," I said. I glanced into the large glass window into the ballet studio where ten little girls in pink leotards were leaping around the room.

"That's one's Robyn," he said, pointing to a girl with a blonde ponytail. The same girl Lissie had run in with. I held back a smile.

"I'm glad she has a friend," I said truthfully.

"Me too. Sometimes I think she's lonely," he said, looking into my eyes.

"I'm not," I said, before I could think. I backtracked. "She's not. Robyn's not."

"I hope not," he said.

Lissie skipped off again with me three quarters of an hour later, delighted with her own success, eager to go back.

On the basketball court up front, Daddy was coaching Charlie into a lay up, who wasn't exactly taking to it. I glanced at him. Daddy had counted on Charlie to be great. It made sense.

"Think fast," he said. My hands went out before my eyes and I caught it neatly. I glanced between them, afraid to make the shot that I knew would sink into the net. On one hand, it would make Daddy happy. On the other hand, it would show up Charlie-by a girl.

"Go on," said my little brother. I raised my eyebrows, but made the shot.

"Nice. Did you have a good time?" asked Daddy, directing his attentions toward Lissie. She flew into the air and into his arms.

"Yep. It was fun. Robyn was there," she said.

"So was Hunter," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Speaking of which, Aidan's inside," said Dad.

"Speaking of which? How is that speaking of which? They're in two completely different leagues. They're not remotely 'speaking of which'," I shot back.

"I thought they were both your friends," said Daddy, handing the ball up to Lissie, now on his shoulders, so she could go for a slam-dunk.

"They are. But Aidan's not an asshole," I said. Dad's jaw tightened for a second, and I blushed. Charlie and Liss were both under ten.

"Sorry. I'm going to go now," I said, running toward the house.

Aidan was in the living room, sitting on the leather sofa, drinking a soda and watching the game. I dropped down next to him and watched with him.

"What's up?" I asked, as the commercials came on.

"Everyone in the entire world's hung over," he commented.

"Will's not," I said.

"Will?"

"Hunter," I said quickly.

"You were with Will Hunter? You hate Will Hunter," he reminded me.

"I do hate Will Hunter. It was merely a very evil trick of fate. He has a little sister in Lissie's ballet class. It's so unfair," I moaned.

"Be careful with him," he suggested, staring forwards at an ad for cat food.

"We're not friends," I protested.

"He has a history with girls like you," said Aidan.

"Girls like me?"

"Yeah. You're a bit younger, a bit… innocent. Naïve," said Aidan.

"Oh, come on. I'm not stupid. I'm not going to sleep with him. And besides, hasn't he slept with Tara? I make it a point to not sleep with guys she's slept with," I said.

"No, they haven't. He's just her back up date. And anyway, I saw you guys at the dance. He… wants you," admitted Aidan. This seemed surprisingly difficult for him to say. I figured it was because I was as much a woman to him as I was a handbag.

"Well duh. Who doesn't?" I asked, smiling.

Surprisingly, Aidan didn't smile. He just looked back toward the game.


	7. Shouldn't Have

Chapter Seven: Shouldn't Have

"Come out with me," whined Tara, for the five thousandth time that night.

"For the last time, no! I don't go out! I stay in! I'm a freak, remember? Go with Aidan," I said, rolling my eyes and attempting to go back to my book.

"He's in Raleigh, visiting Kylie. And probably getting laid by some city slut. I need you. It can be… your introduction into society," she said, snatching my book away again.

"No! I don't do society. I don't do parties!" I exclaimed, yanking back the paperback book.

"But I can't go out alone," she moaned. I glanced at her, attired in her tight low waist jeans, her tube top.

"Sure you can. It would do you worlds of good," I said distractedly.

"Shut up. And I might need a designated driver!" she insisted.

"Tara, I'm fifteen! I can't legally drive!"

"Yeah, but you're a better driver than me anyhow, and no one would arrest you. Ooh, doorbell," she said, leaping up and running downstairs.

I followed her, hoping desperately that it would be someone to take her to the party to get her off my case.

My wish was granted. Will was at the front door. Tara hugged him gratefully.

"Great, let's go," she said, grabbing her bag from the table and preparing to leave.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"We're going to the party at the Hutching's, remember? I mean, aren't we?" she asked, hovering in the doorway.

"Sorry, I just came over to help your sister with her basketball idea," he said.

"Ohhh. Okay, that's fine. Have fun with "basketball"," she said, raising and lowering her eyebrows.

"We are?" I said at the same time.

"We are," he said again.

"And for the record, some people can hang out without having sex, even if those people aren't you," I said viciously, annoyed again at my sister. She rolled her eyes and stormed outside.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded angrily. We weren't friends. He had no right to drop by unannounced.

"I wanted to help. I thought we could make some flyers for your girls basketball team. I think it's a good idea. And I've seen you play," he said.

"And?"

"It's a turn on. And you're pretty good," he said. I folded my arms across my chest.

"Come on, we don't have to be friends. I'm just trying to help," he said.

"I don't need help. You're the captain of the guy's team. Doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose?" I asked.

"Why do you have to be so God damn…" he said, looking at a loss for words.

"Reclusive?" I suggested.

"Bitchy," he countered.

"Oh, piss off. I don't need you," I said.

"So you're just going to stay here all evening, all alone in the big house. In the middle of a storm, waiting for everyone to get back, hoping all the doors are locked…" he pressed. I shivered. I was afraid, when I was alone in the night.

"I'm fine. I can take care of myself," I said.

"No one said you needed taking care of," said Will.

"You did!"

"So what's it going to be, Duchess? Making flyers or hiding under the bed with a flashlights and a butter knife?" he persisted.

"Fuck off," I said, turning around and walking upstairs, half expecting him to follow me anyway.

A half hour later we were sitting amicably on the floor, drinking soda and coming up with designs for my mega plan to revolutionize Tree Hill through basketball. The storm had begun in earnest.

"So you think there'll be a wide enough interest?" he asked.

"I think so. A couple of my friends. I know some girls who play with the younger guys because there's no girls team. We'll mange. We'll recruit from surrounding places if we need to," I said, strictly professional.

"If we can both get behind this, it might even get the more… you know, popular people in on it. Especially if Tara helped," he said.

"Or Aidan," I suggested. He smiled.

"You've just got Aidan wrapped around your little finger," he joked.

"I don't. We're not like that. Not like… my parents," I said.

"Okay. I like your shirt," he said.

"What are you, gay?" I asked. He raised an eyebrow and glanced significantly at it. I blushed: it was one of my few shirts that were closer to lingerie, and it was nice. Medium pink, a wide v-neck edged in pink lace with the spaghetti straps made out of the same pink lace. Cute, girly, yet fairly revealing.

"I'm not. So maybe we could host tryouts on… Wednesday. We don't have practice then. And there's a league you could get involved in, if you start practicing soon," he said.

A crack of thunder made me glance backwards into the closed window, the rain pattering fiercely against the class.

"Are you scared?" he asked. I swallowed.

"Yes. I'm scared," I said. He looked surprised when I revealed my true feelings for once.

"Do you want me to…" he said. I swiftly cut him off.

"Stay right where you are and keep talking about logistics? Uh huh," I said. He laughed. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, three feet in front of me. My knees were bent in front of me.

Slowly he uncrossed his legs and moved forward on all fours. I gasped when he reached me and kissed me gently, gasped further when he managed to easily climb on top of me, my back flat on the carpeted floor.

As his tongue roamed my mouth, I began to feel as I hadn't before. Bright lights were exploding behind my eyes, and for the first time it felt so incredibly right. Like he belonged there, right on top of me.

Reality shook me as a bolt of lightening lit the night sky, and I shoved him off of me and hurriedly stood.

"What the hell was that? For four seconds I was actually beginning to think you weren't the jerk I always thought you were, and then you try and sleep with me. You've known me your entire life. Will you ever see me as a person?" I demanded. He stood slowly in front of me.

"Are you parents home?" he asked. Slowly I shook my head.

I was more prepared when he came forward and kissed me again. I tilted my head and gave in to his kiss and the intoxicating feelings.

As I began to resist, prepared to pull away, his hands wound around my arms and kept me pulled against him.

"Fuck you!" I burst out, when at last I pushed him off. Desire was bubbling in me. I knew it was showing in my eyes, that he could hear it in my voice.

He didn't hear me again. He pushed up against me again. For a moment, my arms inched around him, my leg curled around his.

I back off several feet, and hit the wall behind me. I was backed into a corner in every sense of the words.

"I need you," he whispered, as our tongue's mingled, our bodies joined.

"Fuck me. Oh, do it now," I said, giving away as he pressed me up against the wall. My mind instantly wanted to retract the words that didn't seem to even come from me, but my body meant every letter.

My body and my instincts took over my thoughts as we pressed up against each other. One of my hands dropped to his waist, deftly undoing his belt and hesitantly touching his hardness while his hand went to undo the elastic in my hair, letting it fall down my back.

I wrapped my leg around his waist he slipped off my shirt. I gasped as he thrust inside of me, knowing that despite what I was feeling, nothing would ever be the same.

Throughout the next few hours we did more than just intercourse. Eventually we progressed onto the bed and he made me come several times before we moved back to what we'd started with.

When we stopped, embarrassment took over. I reflected on how naïve I had been, to take no heed of Aidan and Tara's warnings and let my desires take over.

I stared at him as he walked around the room, collecting his clothing while I had the white bed sheet draped modestly over myself, my head on my pillow, my light brown hair spread about me.

"Is that why you came over?" I asked eventually. He looked up at me.

"No," he said.

"So you actually wanted to help?" I said, surprised and genuinely touched.

"Of course. So I'm going to go," he said. I rolled my eyes again, and lifted my head of the pillow, my long hair following me.

"Go? You're just going to leave?" I asked.

"It's not like I'm going to stay here and wait for your parents," he said.

"They're not home this weekend," I said in a small voice.

"Tara then. She didn't actually think we were going to… you know," said Will.

"Well I didn't either, but it doesn't mean she'll be surprised," I said.

"What do you mean Jordan?" he asked. I gasped in shock when my name slipped through his lips.

"What did you call me?"

"Your name," he responded.

"You never have. Not in years. I've always been Joey, or Duchess, or Scott. Like you've always been Hunter," I said.

"People with a relationship like ours don't refer to each other like that, I guess," he said.

"Like our relationship? We don't have a freaking relationship! We haven't ever! We still don't! Go home, for all I care," I spat out. He took an experimental step closer.

"Jordan…"

"Shut up. Go home, _Hunter_," I said, my voice hardening when I spoke his name.


	8. One or the Other

Chapter Eight: One or the Other

Hours later I was curled up in bed, waiting for Tara to stumble in so I would have thoughts to think about besides him, noises to hear besides the pouring rain and the thunder cracks.

I wrapped my sheet around me and sat up in bed when I heard her come through the door, her footsteps seemingly not intoxicated, but forced myself to wait until she got a drink of water, shut off all the downstairs lights and slowly padded upstairs.

"Tara?" I whispered into the darkness of her room. I saw her shape half rise out of her bed, and imagine her blinking in confusion, trying to see.

"Joey? You're still up?" she asked. I ran over to sit on the bed.

"What happened?" she asked, as I place my head on her stomach and began to cry, missing what I'd lost.

She was silent for a long moment, as if in evaluation. Slowly her hand reached out and brushed my hair away from my tear-streaked face.

"You slept with him?" she asked. I nodded silently, hoping she could see the gesture in the dark without me having to say anything.

"He gave you the choice?" she asked. I nodded again, almost reluctantly.

"He was using me," I whispered.

"Will likes you," she consoled.

"He doesn't. He just knows I'm easy," I said bitterly.

"You're not. He knows that," she whispered, stroking my hair.

When I awoke I was still on her bed but she was gone. I sat up slowly and noticed in embarrassment that I was still wrapped in my bed sheet.

Tara was in the kitchen sipping coffee when I went downstairs in my robe. She looked up in concern.

"How're you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm fine. I was just being emotional last night," I said, falsely shrugging it off.

She looked suspicious, entirely disbelieving, but she chose to say nothing.

I have a theory in life.

There are two kinds of problems. The first kind can be solved or at least postponed with buying yourself something new, namely lingerie.

The second kind can't.

I went to the only store in Tree Hill that sold only lingerie, my guiltiest pleasure. Until the previous night, no one had ever even seen my bras, but I'd always loved buying new ones. They could even make me feel better about myself, make the day seem less bleak.

But it didn't work that time. I busied myself in the change room with a matching bra and underwear set, a satin nightie and a bustier, but none of it was working. Nothing could make me forget.

I came out of the change room in the nightie and twirled experimentally in front of the mirrors. I blushed at how low it came, how much it exposed, and how high it was on my tanned thighs.

"Nice," said a voice from behind me. I tossed my hair over my shoulder and turned to stare haughtily at Will.

"What are you doing here? This is the change room," I said.

"Saw you come in. Thought I'd say hi," he explained. He took a step closer. "Hi."

His kiss was merely a brush of his lips on mine. Despite the lightness of it, it didn't fail to send shivers down my spine. Nor did the hand that lightly fingered the lace on the 'neck'.

"Stop that. We're not doing that here," I said.

"You're pissed at me," he said in confusion.

"We slept together and you left like ten minutes later. Gentlemen stay the night. And they don't sleep with girls who they promise they're just over to help. And they don't sleep with girls they've never dated who are years younger than them," I explained.

"First of all, I never claimed to be a gentleman. Second of all, I thought that was what you liked? And thirdly it's barely two years," he said. My hand slapped his cheek before he could stop me.

"I'm not a whore," I said. I wanted to run out, to abandon him completely, but in my current condition I couldn't. I settled for running back into the change room and firmly drawing closed the curtain.

Ten minutes later I poked my head out of the change room and cautiously looked around. He was nowhere to be seen. I paid and left the store.

Tara spent most of her time out in the world so I was surprised she was home when I got home, swinging on the porch swing, drinking lemonade like an old lady. I joined her.

"What did you buy?" she asked. I tossed her the bag and she pawed through the contents.

"Honey, it won't solve your problems," she said, immediately analyzing me and my purchase.

"I know that. At least, I do know. Ran into Hunter," I said.

"You've slept with him. Call him Will," she suggested.

"So, _Hunter_ and I kissed, then I bitched at him, then he bitched at me, then I bitch slapped him and then I flounced off. Which is why we're not together," I said. She permitted herself to smile.

We sat in silence for a while. I stared over the lush front lawn, the basketball court, the expensive car, the one that Mom and Daddy hadn't taken away from them, Tara's car next to it. The other beautiful, expensive houses on the street. The bright blue sky. Other than the fact that my heart was breaking, it was a beautiful world right then.

"What was your first time like?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Okay, guess this had to come out sometime. Joey, I haven't had it yet," she said, blushing. I gasped in spite of myself.

"What? But you're Tara Scott! You're notorious! You're…"

"Slutty? Surprisingly, I'm not. Just kind of a rumor fueled by my hookups. Many of them. I was just… waiting," she said.

"I wish I'd waited."

"In some ways he's perfect for you. Sure he's an asshole, but he won't take any of your bitching, he'll talk back to you. He's an okay guy, deep down," she said.

"I feel like I deserve a guy that's a great guy all the way through," I said.

"Guys like that are boring," she said. I was tempted to lay my head on her shoulder and cry, but I realized I was taller than my big sister, who took after our mother in height. Taller, but somehow so much less wise.

Tara grinned as a convertible pulled up and Aidan jumped out, followed by his mother, who clicked the car locked and came up to us.

"Hey girls. Why so sad?" she asked, instantly noticing my duress.

"Someone's not quite ready to be a woman yet. How're you doing, Auntie Brooke?" asked Tara, smiling up at her. Brooke was aging, but still beautiful, still had twinkly eyes and deep dimples.

"Already? Your Mother would never approve. I'd lecture, but you know me. I'm good sweets. Parents still away?" she asked, leaning against the porch rail.

"Yeah, with Liss and Charlie. It makes the house so quiet," I mourned, surprised at my own sadness.

"I'd imagine. Our house is never quiet," she admitted.

As the conversation played out between Tara and Brooke, I ran to join Aidan on the court.

"Pass, Aidy," I ordered. He tossed me the hard orange ball, and I made the basket.

"Very nice. How're you doing kid?" he asked, as he took the ball in his own hands. Aidan was a decent basketball player, but he wasn't a Scott, or even a Jagielski.

"I'm okay," I said.

"I guess that's better than bad. I brought you guys some cookies, I figured you wouldn't have food in the house," he said. I smiled at him.

"Hey, I can cook," I said defensively.

"I know, but you can never have too many cookies. And Mom insisted. She feels even more motherly toward you guys when Kylie goes too long without calling," he said, twirling the ball on his finger.

"Yeah. I hope my mom never has to feel like that," I said.

"Your Mom," he began, pausing to pass me the ball. "Has three daughters, and therefore doesn't have to worry."

"Yeah. Yeah, I hope so. You know Lissie and Hunter's sister Robyn take the same dance class?" I asked, rolling my eyes. He nodded curtly. I swallowed painfully, wondering how much he'd know by Monday.

_Author's note: I have two things. One: is there a word for a series with six parts? And if so, what is it? Seeing as I originally planned to make a trilogy, I figured I'd write one more oneshot after this just to make it double._

_And two: could as many as possible of you please, please review to tell me who she should end up with and possibly why, just o I can make my choice? Thanks. _


	9. Break Free

Chapter Nine: Break Free

That evening, after Lissie and Charlie had gone to bed, I stayed in the kitchen with Mom and Tara, surprising the both of us, stayed as well.

"So where's Daddy?" I asked, when the conversation lagged.

"Oh, outside somewhere. He's shooting hoops with Uncle John," explained Mom.

"How long have you known Uncle John?" I asked.

"Just about our whole lives, I guess. I even dated him for a while," said Mom, smirking.

"So that's why Daddy sometimes looks at him as though he's going to murder him," said Tara thoughtfully.

"That would be it. But that was a thousand years ago," said Mom comfortingly.

"Before he and Tess..?"

"Of course. Months before. Oh, that's him now, I think," said Mom, turning her head when the front door opened and Daddy came in.

He came into the kitchen to join us, still clad in his basketball jersey and a pair of shorts. Tara and I automatically turned away while he moved to Mom.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see them press together and kiss gently.

"Gross, you're all sweaty. Get off," she said, her voice teasing. They stayed together.

"Come on, I haven't seen you all day," he said lightly. He pressed up against her again.

Tara and I sprang onto our feet when suddenly she screamed and began to struggle against him. He instantly let go and she moved backwards several feet, cowering in the corner.

"Get off, you're hurting me…" she said, over and over. When Daddy tried to approach her again, she screamed as she had before.

The two of us watched, struck with horror, when he finally reached her and began to gently take her back into his arms, whispering soothingly.

When it became clear that this would not be enough, he lifted her into his arms and the two disappeared upstairs. After ten minutes he came back down-ten minutes in which Tara and I had said nothing to each other, each picturing horrible scenarios about what had just gone on in our own kitchen.

We sat back down again when Daddy came to sit at the table and folded his arms, looking grave.

"I guess you want to know what just happened?" he asked eventually. I nodded, but Tara spoke.

"It was about my father, wasn't it?" she asked, her voice small and toneless. Daddy stared at her for a moment, the pain in his face obvious.

"It was about Mark Delaurier, yes. Your Mom will always suffer from that," he said.

"Did she ever do therapy?" I asked.

"Yes, a while ago, but it might have been too late and it can only do too much," he said. His face was indescribable, a mix of anger and sadness.

"Whatever happened to him?" I asked, adroitly avoiding my sister's gaze.

"I kicked his ass, we sued him, got a restraining order, he moved away for college. Haven't heard from him since, save a couple phone calls," said Daddy.

"Does he know about me?" asked Tara. Dad stared at her for a moment, taking in the child that was of his wife and not him, an ever present reminder of the pain of the past.

"I don't know. He's got to know you exist, but I doubt he knows that… and anyway, I officially adopted you so he has no claim to you," said Daddy comfortingly. Tara looked far from comforted. She was nearly eighteen. Legal matters no longer mattered for much.

The next day, Monday, Tara stood stalwartly by my side the entire day, ignoring the puzzled stars of everyone else who saw us as two completely different people who only interacted as seldom as possible.

Neither of us mentioned the incident in the kitchen, and we tried our best to make the day as normal as possible.

It was harder when she and Aidan went together off to their first period class, and I had to fend for myself again. That was the biggest problem with having Aidan as one of my best friends, and with growing closer to Tara-for most of the day, they were off doing Senior things and I had to stay with my sophomore friends.

But sophomores weren't my focus when I ran into Will for the first time that day. I had so nearly escaped having to see him-school had ended ten minutes previously and I had planned to run out as quickly as possible so I couldn't go home and cry about my day.

I stopped short when I saw his black mustang in front of me. He rolled down the window and stared at me for a moment before speaking.

"Get in," he said simply. I bravely stood my ground and matched his stare.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I said coolly. I took an involuntary step backward as his stare suddenly turned into a fiercer look.

"Get in," he said again. Quelled by the look on his face, I reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat of his car and we drove away.

"What do you want?" I asked listlessly.

"I want for us to not be like this," he said.

"Why not? We're not attached. You got sex and know you don't have to worry about romance. All gain and no pain, my friend," I said scathingly.

"Maybe I want more than the sex!" he said.

"I've known you for fifteen years Hunter. And I know what you want," I said.

"Apparently you don't know me well enough," he said. I shrieked in surprise when he suddenly jerked the car to a stop, leaned across the car, tilted my stubbornly forward facing face to meet his, and kissed me. A steamy, passionate kiss that immediately made me reach for him, despite my better judgement.

"I know what I want, Jordan Scott, but what the hell is it that you want?" he asked. Looking out the window, I realized we were only five minutes from my house. I grabbed my bag and leapt out of his car, ignoring him when he called after me.

But somehow, mysteriously, I didn't end up at my house. I ended up three blocks away, at the expansive Hunter residence. His car was parked in the driveway.

Not bothering to knock, I pushed open the door, ran upstairs to his bedroom and encountered him sitting on his bed. He arose swiftly when I entered but I ran to him, kissed him and we fell back on the bed again.

"I knew you'd…" he began, smirking between kisses.

"Shut up," I ordered, my hands already preparing to pull his shirt over his head.

We were still kissing, taking it slower than we had the first time, when Will's eyes took on a panicked, nervous look. Swinging my hair around, my eyes immediately encountered a figure in the doorway: tall, dark haired, dimples nowhere to be seen. Aidan.

He walked off again before I could say a word. I looked up at Will-we'd switched places-and stared into his eyes again. He was hot. There was no denying it-dark blonde hair, a small silver hoop through is earlobe, slight scruffiness to his swarthy face. But he was no more than hot. And I swiftly realized that I needed more than hot.

I pushed him off me and ran outside. Aidan was walking away, on the far side of he walkway to the Hunter's house. I ran to meet him, and touched his shoulder when he failed to respond to my calls.

"It doesn't mean anything to me," I promised. I was on a step, higher ground than him, but still I had to look up to meet his eyes.

"It's you're choice to make," he said, looking away from me.

"Aidan, look at me," I pleaded. He didn't. I touched my hand to his cheek and his eyes turned on me, instantly responded to my caress.

"What do you want?" he asked. I realize why he was angry in an instant.

"It's not him I want," I promised. We met eyes. "I want you."


	10. The Best It Ever Was

Chapter Ten:

Author's note: Part way through the chapter, the perspective shifts. Be wary of that.

Aidan McFadden slowly revolved on the spot to face me. Suddenly, for one of the first times in my life, I was conscious of my appearance. Of my disheveled hair, the bra strap that had fallen down my shoulder, Will's marks of lust on my neck.

"Danni…" he took a step toward me and took my hand in a way that was not remotely romantic.

"What?" I asked, my voice shaking. I was terrified. I needed Aidan in my life. Was this the only way to get it?

"You know you don't mean that," he said, his voice low yet calm.

"I need you, Aidan," I whispered.

"One slip isn't going to step me from being your friend," he said, smiling.

"But… Everyone thinks you're in love with me…" I started.

"I'm not," he said. "You don't have to be, either."

"If you don't want me, why do you care?" I asked.

"I've known you my entire life. Of course I'm going to care if I see you going at it with some jerk," he said. My face reproached him slightly. "Not that he doesn't have his good points."

"He's not my boyfriend," I said.

"There's always been a little something there. Go for it, kid," he said. I smiled in relief. In that moment, when he affectionately called me 'kid' and advised me to go after another man, I knew there really was nothing between us except for that he was my oldest friend, and I'd always love him for that.

"I'm sorry I never told you," I said.

"No problem. It was always kind of inevitable," he said.

"As much as I tried to deny it," I joked.

"Just like your mother," agreed Aidan.

"And… my sister," I said quietly.

"Right, that. Can I tell you a secret?" he asked. I laughed, and knew what it would be before he could tell me.

"God, jilted for my sister? That's terrible. Good luck," I said, imagining him as my brother-in-law. It wasn't difficult.

"Same to you," he said, nodding over my shoulder. I turned my neck and saw Will waiting, staring at us. I smiled-I'd never though of him as the kind of guy to run after a girl who'd run out on him. Maybe there was more to him than I'd ever expected. There had never been a better time to find out.

"You don't mind..?" I asked.

"Go," he said firmly. I turned to run, and reached Will. I expected one of our burning, passionate kisses, but all we could do was melt into the heat of our embrace.

Will held my hand firmly in his own when we cautiously stepped over the threshold of my house. We slowly approached the kitchen, hoping that our announcement would be well received.

I laughed when we entered. Mom and Dad were in each other's arms, kissing passionately, with passion they managed to keep after seventeen years. They broke apart when they entered, and smiled without embarrassment.

"Hey Jordan. Will," said Mom, her eyes widening when she saw our joined hands. Daddy leaned against the counter and crossed his arms in suspicion.

"Callie, Sawyer," said Will nervously. He nudged me.

"Will and I are dating," I said, telling only a partial lie. I didn't think they'd take to me telling them that so far we'd only been doing it.

"Jordan's my girlfriend," he clarified, for my benefit.

"That's great," said Daddy. Mom smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Duh. Will, you staying for dinner?" she asked, stirring something on the stove. I smiled. They were pretty cool, my parents.

"Sure," he said in surprise.

Together we began to set the table, amazed at how the announcement had gone over. Will was two years older. He was a known player. For years we'd suspected he was in love with Tara.

Or maybe I'd just thought so.

"WILL!" came a shrill, girlish voice. I rolled my eyes as Lissie ran in and threw herself into Will's arms.

"Hey kid, what's up?" he asked.

"How come you're here and Tara isn't?" she demanded.

"I invited him, Liss," I said. Her six year old mind slowly processed this.

"Oh. Is he your boyfriend?" she asked, her voice disgusted with a touch of reverence. Will ruffled her hair before setting her down again.

Charlie joined us, silently observing, silently understanding as was his way. Tara came with Will fifteen minutes later. I quickly shot him a questioning look, but he shook his head. Their time would come later.

Fairly soon after dinner, Aidan went home, Tara disappeared into her room and Mom and Dad took the little ones up to bed, leaving Will and me to clean up the kitchen.

We didn't spend much time cleaning.

Will lifted me onto the island in the middle of the kitchen, I put my arms around his neck and we kissed, sweetly and perfectly.

"See, when you can get away with just having that why would you sign up for the whole thing?" I teased.

"Because I knew eventually you'd get bored of it and run off, and I won't be losing my woman to Aidan," he said jokingly. I punched his shoulder.

"That's all?" I asked, raising my eyes to him.

"Duchess you know I…" he paused. He wasn't ready for that. I wasn't, either, but perhaps we both did. "Yeah. That's about it."

"Aidan's in love with…" I began.

"Tara?" he asked. I nodded.

"Good luck to whoever ends up with her," he said, scoffing. I would have been angered, but I agreed completely.

xxxxxCALLIE SCOTTxxxxx

I lay down on our bed, shivering despite the closed windows, the heat coming from the vents, and the thick blanket wrapped around me.

I'd tried to hard not to let my past affect my daughter's future-a plan that had completely failed when I'd caused such a scene in the kitchen, right before them.

Sawyer was a saint for being so understanding. After almost twenty years, twenty years of anxiety, distance and fear, wouldn't some men be at least annoyed? He didn't remotely understand my pain, yet he stood by me through it.

Thinking of him almost made me smile. I twirled my diamond ring around my finger, thinking of what he'd told me recently, that he hadn't just proposed to me because of the "baby" but because he'd really loved me. What would I have said, had I not been pregnant and he'd done it anyways? I know what I would have said, really. I would have shot him down, and everyone would have backed me instead of him, we'd break up and I'd probably have neither Tara, Jordan, Charlie nor Lissie.

Or maybe, just maybe, I'd still have Tara.

I was shocked out of my reverie when he came in and sat on the bed.

"Lissie's upset. She thinks Joey stole Will from her," he laughed. I attempted a smile.

"I think he'll make her happy," I said. I bent my head to hide a tear, and my still white blonde hair swung over my face. Sawyer reached forward and gently tucked my hair behind my ear, and brushed away the tear.

"Hey. What's on your mind?" he asked gently.

"Nothing. Lissie. That's funny. They're perfect, all of them," I said.

"Even Tara," he said gently. To an outsider, the comment would have sounded peculiar, but I understood. He knew what I was thinking of. He always did, and I always knew his heart. Marriage for seventeen years and friendship of thirty would do that to you.

"I can't believe we thought we were old at your parent's anniversary, when I was pregnant with Charlie. We were practically children then. Now we're old," I mourned.

"Would you slap me if I told you still looked exactly the same?" he wondered.

"Probably."

"Then I won't. It's a bit too cheesy, isn't it," he decided. I leaned in toward him and we kissed.

"Our lives, my love, are a bit cheesy," I relented.

XxxxxJORDAN SCOTTxxxxX

I woke with a start the next morning, unfamiliar with a presence on my right. I realized what had happened: Will had stayed the night. And we were spooning, of all things. Like people who mattered to each other. Like people in love.

Lissie tiptoed down the hall, pressed open our parent's door and bounded into their bed. I realized that Will and I had slept almost as my parent's were doing-and my parent's had magic love, fairy tale love. I'd always known I'd wanted to grow old like them, but had never imagined doing it with anyone. Now I imagined myself in a white dress, Will at the end of an aisle, looking grown up and handsome. Children abounding in a house full of love.

Then I turned around and saw the real William Hunter, looking infinitely dear in his sleep, his stubble tickling my bare skin. We wouldn't live in the future. We'd never have to.

Because the present had never been more beautiful.

THE END

Author's note: I apologize for the length of this story. But I was losing interest in it and I hated leaving you guys out of the loop. If I ever revisit this series, I'll either go back to Callie and Sawyer being newlyweds, or zoom into a particular character's life, perhaps Jenny's. But don't count on it, because right now I'm wrapped up in two other stories, When One Door Closes and A Life Less Ordinary. Please go check them out, and thanks again for reading.


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